RNC Throwing Its Full Weight Behind Roy Moore

The Republican National Committee (RNC) announced Monday evening that it will once again throw its support behind Republican Alabama Senate candidate Roy Moore in the state’s upcoming special senatorial election.

The RNC contacted Alabama state RNC members Monday to say the national committee will financially back Moore’s campaign through Dec. 12, the date when Alabama voters are scheduled to head to the ballot box to choose their replacement for current GOP Sen. Luther Strange — the man who replaced Attorney General Jeff Sessions.

Moore received financial support from the RNC up through President Donald Trump’s trip to Asia, but soon withdrew its support in mid-November after The Washington Post reported a number sexual harassment allegations against the candidate. The RNC waited roughly one week to make its decision following The Post’s reports.

Trump endorsed Moore’s candidacy aboard Air Force One Monday morning, after shying away for weeks from throwing his full weight behind the candidate. The president also tweeted out his support Monday.

The RNC’s endorsement coming off the heels of the president’s is no surprise, given that the committee is the political appendage of the presidency.

Republican leadership in the Senate has gone from outright calling for the candidate to step aside to supporting the president’s actions or calling, like Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell did Sunday, for Alabama voters to make the call.

McConnell originally said in the wake of the Post reports that, if the allegations were true, Moore “must step aside.”

Senate Finance Chairman Orin Hatch defended the president’s call Monday, saying, “I don’t think he had any choice but to do that … that’s the only Republican we can get down there.”

GOP Sen. Jeff Flake of Arizona said Monday evening that he thinks the Republican party has enough problem to deal tackle without becoming “the party of Roy Moore.”

The outgoing Arizona senator told reporters Monday that Republicans are going to have a tough enough time in coming years without being the party that welcomes Moore into the chamber.